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United Airlines To Charge for Second Checked Bag

February 07, 2008 02:00 AM

by
findingDulcinea Staff

United Airlines is instituting a fee of $25 to check a second bag. It asserts that only 25% of fliers check two bags, and raise costs for all travelers. Analysts believe other airlines may follow United's lead.

United Airlines announced a new check-in luggage policy that, beginning May 8, will charge customers with domestic economy tickets $25 to check a second bag. The fee will not be charged to members of United's frequent flyer program.

“This new policy… enables us to offer competitive fares to everyone,” says John Tague, the airline’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer, as one out of four passengers checks two bags.

United Airlines announced a new checked bag policy that, beginning May 8, will allow customers with domestic economy tickets to check two bags – one for free, and one additional bag for a $25 fee. According to John Tague, executive vice president and chief revenue officer for United Airlines, one out of four customers checks two bags. “This new policy… enables us to offer competitive fares to everyone,” Tague says.

Fees for extra bags are common in Europe and some discount airlines in the U.S. While United is the first major legacy carrier in the U.S. to charge the fee, air travel experts expect that the other airlines will begin to charge similar fees.

In the first nine months of 2007, one of every 138 checked bags was lost, and in 2006 one in every 155 bags, and that’s not counting statistics from smaller, regional airports. Dirty adhesive tags were blamed in the case of American Airlines. The problem could be solved by radio frequency identification tags, but airlines consider them too costly.

The Transportation Security Administration provides lost-and-found contacts for a number of airports, applicable only to missing items from checked baggage, or baggage left at security checkpoints. The TSA also outlines what to pack and what to leave out of your carry-on bag.